The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1887-03-09


trip had yet taken. Here all my new
misfortunes began. All the wickedness
came out in this way.
"My father had a mortal horror OF pay
ing out ready cash where il could be avoid
ed. Therefore, was accustomed to paying
my travelling expenses with orders for
small amounts drawn by him on dealers
owing him money in the towns and villages
through which I passed, the same being
carried to their credit on our books at the
time the orders or drafts were given to me
just before setting out. On this last trip L
had given to me as many as fifteen of these
orders. They were in various amounts,
ranging from five to twenty five dollars.
On the night before / left home they were
handed to me by my father in our parlor in
sealed package, as was his custom, and
/ the next morning l set out, intending. not
to break the package till should require to
make use of the orders. Everything went
smoothly till / was passing through Ver-
mont, having made use of nearly all the
orders, when l was seized for forgery, my
father himself having telegraphed for my
arrest. Four of the drafts had found their
way back to him, and been pronounced
| forgeries.
Il was carried back to the New York
town where the fraudulent orders had been
cashed, and cast into prison. Being per-
fectly innocent of crime, of course as
| serted as much Indignantly, but was fully
committed for trial. Then a gentleman
had never seen before-but who must have
been acting for my father, have since
thought became bail for me, and soon
after my release urged me to flee to some
foreign country, and never return. l an
grily refused. Then, far from quitting the
country, set out for home at all speed.
"My father was reported sick in bed when
L appeared at the office, where the book
keeper and others gave me the cold Shout
der and huffed me generally, as though
making no question of my guilt. Then l
hurried to the house. Selma received me
in the parlor with embraces and tears. She
professed entire belief in my innocence,
but besought me not to 60 up stairs to my
father, whom she represented as being still
furious against me and obdurate i'll his
conviction of my guilt She begged me to
fly, promising to communicate with me reg
ularly as l should pass from place to place,
to send me money, and likewise to plead
constantly with my father in my behalf.
She overcame me with her tears, her kisses,
and her seemingly agonized solicitude lest
L should again be carried of to prison,
which, she said, would break her heart. In
a weak and evil hour l consented 10 become
fugitive.
"Then before my departure she begged me
to return all the love-letters she had ever
written me, for we had correspondent al
most daily during my long absences. Now,
in some of her letters 10 me, Selma had
mixed up her expressions of endearment
with certain speculations upon the benefit
that would come to us in the event of my
fathers death ('the old ogre's death, as she
once or twice put it, in way that had
shocked me not little, and which l had
only been able to explain away by consider
ing them as mere thoughtless words on her
part, springing out of natural impotence
at our being so crossed and hampered in
our desires. However, l could not have
complied with her request just at that mo-
ment, had l wished, for the letters were in
my valise, which had left at the station.
"She then exacted promise that /
would send them to her FROM the first halt
ing place in my wanderings, gave me the
few dollars she had in her purse, and sep
arated from me In an apparent agony OF
tears.
But, as / was skulking out by q back
way, old Mrs. Lump slipped something in
to my hand and whispered in my ear: L
overheard all that passed between We in the
parlor, Don't trust the sly mink, Ichabod,
an never send her back no letters nor
nothin'. l hardly understood her until l
was on board Western train, when l
opened the package she had given met
contained fifty dollars, like as not all her
savings, poor soul!-and fell to thinking
over what she had whispered. From that
time / was filled with doubts and fears re-
garding Selma, sometimes fancying her
loving and sincere, and again suspecting
her of treachery and le-dealng. The
IL Il Ioa al. 10
hardly ever left it, making me unfit for
steady work. But stopped at nearly all
the towns between Buffalo and Pittsburgh,
making hard but vain attempts to get work
at my trade; and soon after arriving at a
cheap tavern in Pittsburgh, broken down
and penniless, fell i'll with n fever, and
was carted off to charity hospital.
When discharged, L was very weak,
and the chronic roaring in my
ears had given place to stupid. va
cant feeling that still further incapac-
itated me. Selma had at first written
regularly, sending me small sums, and al
ways urging me to return her those letters;
but now she wrote no more, and all my APP
peals failed to elicit response. Moreover,
cold weather was setting III, no work could
be had, and the city streets were filling up
with tramps of all sorts, good and bad,
poor men really wishing work but unable to
get it, and the lazy. mean lot who even pre-
fer tramping to honest labor. My scanty
luggage was kept by tavern Keeper for
the two days board had had before fall
ing sick
"Ah, sir! all, Miss Gertrude; there is lit
tie more to tell that would interest without
disgusting you. l became tramp, and
passed a terrible winter, roaming from
place to place in the West and Southwest,
sometimes in Jail as vagrant, sometimes
begging, least times working, but always
tramping, tramping on, sleeping anywhere
and nowhere, with half a meal day and
no meal tomorrow, in dreary round of
daily misery such as no one who has never
tried it can ever imagine. In the spring L
resolved to make my way East again. l
managed to steal enough rides on freight
trains to carry me from Memphis to Phiia-
delphia. But they were so hard on tramps
there that / started for Buffalo on foot. 1t
was OH my way there that | stopped at your
gate, and you took me in-God bless you
ALL As | began to pick up strength my
head got steadier, and even began to
hope that Selma had remained true to me,
after all. l wrote to her, and at the
same time sent to Pittsburgh for my
letters, as you know. Ny intention
was TO return them to her, If she should
convince me of her good faith. The rest
you know. Her letter, making an appoint
M 10 rnaai mo OF C xUu only A trick